Nuclear Transparency in Heavy Ion Collisions at 14.6 GeV/nucleon

The probability of a projectile nucleon to traverse a target nucleus without interaction is calculated for central Si-Pb collisions and compared to the data of E814. The calculations are performed in two independent ways, via Glauber theory and using the transport code UrQMD. For central collisions Glauber predictions are about 30 to 50% higher than experiment, while the output of UrQMD does not show the experimental peak of beam rapidity particles.Comment: 9 pages, 4 figures. submitted to Nucl. Phys.

Structural properties of a calcium aluminosilicate glass from molecular-dynamics simulations: A finite size effects study

We study a calcium aluminosilicate glass of composition (SiO$_2$)$_{0.67}$-(Al$_2$O$_3$)$_{0.12}$-(CaO)$_{0.21}$ by means of molecular-dynamics (MD) simulations, using a potential made of two-body and three-body interactions. In order to prepare small samples that can subsequently be studied by first-principles, the finite size effects on the liquid dynamics and on the glass structural properties are investigated. We find that finite size effects affect the Si-O-Si and Si-O-Al angular distributions, the first peaks of the Si-O, Al-O and Ca-O pair correlation functions, the Ca coordination and the oxygen atoms environment in the smallest system (100 atoms). We give evidence that these finite size effects can be directly attributed to the use of three-body interactions.Comment: 36 pages, 14 figures. Journal of Chem. Phys., in pres

Real-time visual loop-closure detection

Published versio

Incremental vision-based topological SLAM

Published versio

Fast and Incremental Method for Loop-Closure Detection Using Bags of Visual Words

Published versio

A case of Pasteurella multocida peritoneal dialysis-associated peritonitis and review of the literature

AbstractObjectives: Two episodes of peritoneal dialysis-associated peritonitis, which occurred four months apart and were both due to Pasteurella multocida, were noted in a 73 year old woman. This report aims to describe the clinical history of these episodes and the microbiological investigations that were undertaken. The relevant literature will also be discussed.Methods and results: Basic microbiological tests identified the organism as Pasteurella multocida, and further work at a specialist laboratory classified it as Pasteurella multocida subsp. multocida. Pulsed field gel electrophoresis confirmed that the strains isolated from the two clinical episodes originated from the same clone. A literature search was performed, looking particularly for patients who experienced more than one episode of peritonitis caused by Pasteurella spp, whether due to recurrence or re-infection.Conclusions: It is likely that the infection resulted from a domestic cat, as there was evidence of a cat bite to the dialysis tubing in the period between the two episodes. Re-infection with two identical strains of pasteurella is more probable than relapse, for reasons discussed. Strict hygiene and avoiding contact between dialysis tubing and domestic animals must be emphasised to try to prevent pasteurella and other animal-associated infections in this already vulnerable population

Pangarap Ko, Pangarap Natin: The Role of Hope As A Mediator Between Social Support and School Engagement Among Filipino Public School Students

Most students in the Philippines are enrolled in public schools, and yet conditions inside the classroom make it difficult for a student to stay engaged. Although there are many factors that contribute to school engagement, the current study looks at social support ___ particularly teacher support, parent support and peer help, as predictors of school engagement. The study also looks at hope as a mediating factor between this relationship, given that students are faced with adverse situations both in the school setting and in their communities. The study was conducted among Grade 6 students at a public elementary school in Quezon City. Regression analysis was conducted to look at the mediation between these variables. Based on the results of the study, hope serves as a partial mediator of the relationship between social support and school engagement. Results of the study have implications on factors on school outcomes, as well as school interventions on public schools in the Philippines

Higher Muscle Tissue Oxygenation When Exposed to Hypobaric Hypoxia Than Normobaric Hypoxia

There has been recent debate on the potential difference in physiological response between exposure to simulated altitude (normobaric hypoxia) and terrestrial altitude (hypobaric hypoxia). Purpose: To determine the difference in the physiological response to normobaric and hypobaric hypoxia during exercise. Methods: Eight recreationally active subjects (27 ± 5 y old, 73.1 ± 7.4 kg body weight, 170.6 ± 6.7 cm height, and 19.3 ± 9.2 % body fat) completed incremental cycling exercise to volitional fatigue in three separate environments: normobaric normoxia (NN; 350 m), normobaric hypoxia (NH; simulated 3094 m), and hypobaric hypoxia (HH; 3094 m). Heart rate, blood oxygen saturation, and muscle tissue oxygenation were measured at rest and continuously throughout the exercise trials. Results: Blood oxygen saturation (SpO2) was ~10% higher in NN compared to the two hypoxic conditions (p \u3c 0.001) at rest and all exercise stages, with no difference between NH and HH (p \u3e 0.05). Heart rate was higher at rest in HH (98 ± 13 bpm) compared to NN (83 ± 15 bpm, p = 0.011) and NH (84 ± 14 bpm, p = 0.001) which persisted until 165 watts at which point no difference was observed (p \u3e 0.05). Muscle tissue oxygenation was 17% higher in HH compared to NN and 19% higher than NH throughout exposure (p \u3c 0.05). Conclusion: This data indicates that the hypoxic stress resulting from normobaric and hypobaric hypoxia are not the sameand that hypobaric hypoxia may not result in hypoxia at the level of the tissue

Unsettling Play: Perceptions of Agonistic Games

In this paper, we propose Agonistic Games (AGs) as a serious games subcategory that can stimulate critical reflection on topics of dark heritage through multiperspectivity and unsettling play. We first discuss the emerging topic of agonism in memory studies, and then how games can be used to support its objectives. We then discuss the development of 2 original AGs: Endless Blitz and Umschlagplatz '43. We explore whether these two AGs were perceived as capable of stimulating critical reflection by collecting data from visitors to the exhibition 'Krieg. Macht. Sinn' at the Ruhr Museum in Germany where the games were installed, and from participants in an online course describing the games. From analysing data collected, we outline four factors inhibiting the capacity of AGs to stimulate critical reflection (topic, context, design, and assumptions about games) and propose strategies for overcoming these inhibitors. Our findings are valuable to scholars, game researchers, and designers, strengthening the foundations for the design and development of future AGs